Mental Fortitude is the name of the game!

Suffice it to say, this blog almost didn’t happen today – but I have good friends to credit for keeping my head in the game, today and every day. 

After a weekend of hard workouts, I got in the pool on Monday morning, as I have done for the last several Mondays, hoping for even better times in the pool.  Months ago I was averaging right around 2:35/100 meters.  In Triathlete language – “super slow.”  I am proud to say that I am much closer to 2:15 these days and it feels pretty good.  Its still pretty slow to some, but given that I really only learned to swim correctly over this past 18 months, I am pleased with the changes in my times.

I could say the same about my running – however, the Arizona heat really hit us hard this week.  I tell everyone, “just focus on the miles; the times will follow suit in another couple of months.”  But, I have a really hard time allowing that to be my reality.  I know I can pull sub-9’s, but I am hovering around 9:15-9:20/mile in this dreaded heat.  That’s precisely where I was on Tuesday morning’s short 4.5 miler.

Wednesday, I hit my tough hill route through the Foothills and managed another Personal Record on the course – 1:00:20 with an AVS of 18.5. 

Thursday morning, Matt met me for a short trail run.  We both felt pretty good for the first mile, but the temps hit us hard after the second mile and we turned around to head back to the trailhead.  It wasn’t worth the misery.  About 3.25 miles into the run, I asked if we could just hike it back and Matt said, “Come on, at this point, we might as well endure and just finish.”  He pulled away from me and, once again, it pissed me off enough to continue running – to the end, of course. 

Friday morning, I headed out Pecos Road on my bike and hit another Personal Record over the 16 mile route – 19.1 AVS.  I was ecstatic.  It made for a pretty enjoyable 2.65 mile run right after, as well.  My legs are feeling ready for the tri in another 3 weeks. 

The Saturday before the semester starts, the Student Services of the college are open for students who need last minute changes (to their schedule, their payment plans, their financial aid, etc).  Knowing I had to be into the office by 8:30am, I awakened at 3:30am to do sprint drills in the pool and then meet David for a 35 mile ride out to Maricopa and back.  Sadly, David got a flat only 6 miles into the ride, and while I was able to get his tire all fixed up – I didn’t get enough air into his tube to sustain him for much more than another 10, comfortably.  It was my fault, sadly.  If we’d had another cartridge of air, we would have been fine, but we did not.  So, we turned around and took it easy back to the Park ‘n Ride.  Lesson learned.  It was still nice to be out on the roads after my swim.

After a long day at work, I took it easy Saturday evening.  But, sadly, I tossed and turned all night long.  Getting 20 minutes of sleep here, 10 minutes there – all night long.  I might have clocked a full hour over the course of the 7.5 hours I was in bed.  So, when my alarm went off at 4:20, telling me to get up and head out, I was physically sick. 

I fumbled around for a bit, trying to drink coffee and put a couple of Gu Chomps in my system, but everything was coming up.  As my mom always said, “If Meredith doesn’t get enough sleep – she will get sick.”  This was simple a testimony to that reality.

But, out the door I went and met Matt at 5am in the Park ‘n Ride for what was going to be the most challenging 9 mile run of my life.  I could tell instantly he felt bad for me.  He knows what its like not to manage a night’s sleep – and how it can wreck you.  On top of all that – it was 86 degrees and 50-60% humidity. 

I explained that he should go ahead and do his thing – that I would finish in time.  But, he’s such a good friend, he wasn’t having it.  I was pretty silent for the first 3 miles of the run – trying very hard not to get sick again.  Matt was chattier than I could remember.  I focused on his stories – and fortunately, he was full of them.  By mile 3.5, I needed water and a walk break.  Matt continued running and then came back and got me a moment or two later.  I started up again, but wanted to stop again, just before mile 4.  It was then that he had a heart to heart with me about where I was mentally.  He told me that I could continue to beat myself up over the lack of sleep, I could continue on and fight through it, or I could walk and hate myself. 

It worked; I smiled and committed to finishing.  The next few miles were actually fine.  Miles 7-9 were again not all that pretty, but for no sleep, the hot temps and humidity and a general feeling of sickness, I managed to eek it out with a 10:18 pace, overall.  I am not going to kill myself over my times – I know I am MUCH better than that pace, but I got the miles on my legs and felt so accomplished after.   However, I really have Matt to thank for this morning.  He stuck by my side and got me to finish.  I guess he realized that if I made it to the Park ‘n Ride after no sleep – I needed to get ‘er done.

The great part – shortly after, I got to then head to Chompies and wait for Anne to finish her 9 mile run.  About 15 minutes after I arrived, she was smiling and coming around the corner of the shopping plaza.  She’d had a tough run, too.  But we all made it!